Bedtime Story
by Ivy123
Summary: A true hero, one that makes people stare in awe, is immortal. He lives on in memories and legends to be remembered long, long after his body has turned to dust and he leaves his mark on the world, still visible long after he is gone for good.


Hey there! I wrote this quite a while ago and now decided to publish it. I got a bit carried away with the summary, but oh well...It's my first Ranger's Apprentice story. I haven't read _The Lost Stories_ and _The Royal Ranger _yet, so I'm just ignoring anything that happens in these books. I don't know, if it's any good, but: Enjoy!

* * *

"Once upon the time there was a boy called Will. He was an orphan and did neither know his family, nor his last name. He didn't know he was talented either."

"But he was!"

"Of course he was. Do you want to tell the story or do you want to listen to it?"

"You tell it!"

"Then be quiet and listen. Well, he wasn't very strong or very confident, he stumbled over his own words and he always lost fights against his later friend Horace. Yet he was very fast, could climb well and was good at disguising himself. But he didn't think these talents mattered at all. He hoped to be accepted in the Battle School, since he dreamt of his father to have been a glorious knight."

"His father had been better than any knight!"

"You better don't tell that any of the knights."

"But it's the truth!"

"It is, but some won't be happy to hear that."

"I don't care!"

"So... When the day to choose an apprenticeship came, he wasn't accepted in Battle School. Nobody else wanted him as an apprentice either. Only the brilliant ranger Halt-"

"Pffhh..."

"Why are you laughing? I'm only telling the truth! The brilliant ranger Halt saw his talent for being a ranger and decided to test him. He handed the baron a letter, saying it was about Will's future, making sure, Will heard them, and waited until night. And indeed: Will climbed all the way up into the tower to read it, where Halt already waited for him. The letter had only been a decoy. And Will clearly had proven talent for becoming a ranger. So Will became Halt's apprentice."

"I wanna become a ranger too!"

"I'm sure, you will."

"I'll be the best ranger ever!"

"Of course. But Will still thought he might have disappointed his father. He didn't know, his father had been a hero, but not a knight. Nevertheless the job suited him, he made many friends, and finally overcame his childish differences with Horace. He played a big role in defeating Morgarath's army and after hearing the true story of his father, he could accept not being a knight, he even refused an offer for being made a knight and ending his apprenticeship as a ranger."

"Awww... You're telling the story way to fast! I want to hear about the great battle, in which Morgarath was defeated!"

"But you said, you wanted Will's complete story. Each adventure is a story of its own. If you want to have the story from the beginning to the end, you'll have to endure it being a bit vague. You have to choose. And you know each one of these stories by heart already, anyway. I can tell you in detail about the final battle against Morgarath tomorrow."

"Alright..."

"Back to the story: When Will, Horace and princess Cassandra were in Celtica, they burned down the bridge, that Morgarath had built to cross the gorge. Will and Cassandra were captured in process by the Skandians and brought to Skandia as slaves, but Erak, still a Jarl, sympathized with them and helped them escape. Together with the Skandians they defeated the Temujai, warriors from the east, who were trying to conquer Skandia. Ragnak died in the battle and Erak was made Oberjarl. Skandia and Araluen signed a treaty, which created Will's later name: Will Treaty."

"It's a good last name."

"Yes, it is. Will helped to save Erak, who had been captured by the Arridi and conquered a castle with only thirty soldiers to save his childhood friend Alyss. Then he was called to Hibernia to free the country of a dangerous cult accompanied by Halt and Horace. His former master was injured during this, but Will managed to bring a healer just in time. Halt had almost died. When Will's best friend Horace was in danger in Nihon-Ja, he came to save him and defeated the revolting aristocrats, who didn't want the emperor Shigeru to improve the common people's live situation. Not long afterwards Cassandra and Horace announced their wedding."

"He did all this by himself..."

"It's hard to believe, but that's how it is. He was a true hero. True heroes are rare...

Will then married Alyss, to whom he had been forming a relationship, since her captivity in Macindaw. And three years later they had a daughter-"

"A beautiful daughter!"

"-an unbelievably beautiful daughter, that they called Robin..."

"Go on!"

"You're sure, you want to hear the rest of the story? You cried last time."

"Yes! I wanna hear about the bravest thing he did!"

"Sure?"

"Sure."

"Alright... Sadly their happiness didn't last long.

One of the men from king Duncan's household turned out to have been Morgarath's spy. The information was passed on to everybody and they went to catch him. The man had collected a lot of scattered wargals over the years, who obliged him and he was seeking revenge on the one, who had burned down the bridge so long ago...

Will was the only one, who hadn't gotten this information yet, so when he and his family were attacked, he was totally unprepared. They had encircled the house, so nobody would escape and his only chance was to force a way through the circle for him and his family.

He only had his two knives, but he still managed to kill half of the wargals, before... one of them stabbed... stabbed him into the back... Alyss had only been able to watch, but, despite her lack of fighting skills, fought like a lion to protect her child... She fell in the exact moment, as Halt and Gilan arrived. They had been fetched by Tug, the only one, who had been able to flee in time.

They killed the wargals and the spy, but it... it was too late for Will and Alyss... Their baby-daughter was the only survivor."

"They were so brave..."

"I've never heard of anything braver done. See? You're crying again."

"I'm not crying! I'm just... rubbing my eyes... it's really dusty in here."

"Will and Alyss had both been orphans, so it was decided, that Robin should be raised by Halt and his wife, Lady Pauline, who had been something like second parents to them. They accepted her as a granddaughter. She grew up to be a pretty, lively girl. And they lived happily ever after."

"Yes. I'm happy."

"Good. That's the most important thing. See? Now your smiling. I know, they would be very proud of you and glad to know they managed... managed to save you."

"Are you okay, grandpa Halt? You're not crying, are you?"

"No, of course I'm not crying, Robin... I'm just rubbing my eyes... You should really do something about that dust in here..."


End file.
